Greetings from Russia
by MistressSara
Summary: For two years Lily Layfield lived and worked with Sam Axe in Russia. Two very long years… Companion piece to Welcome To Miami, I'd suggest reading that first. R&R if you please. Sam/OC
1. Chapter 1

Greetings From Russia

By Mistress Sara

Summary: For two years Lily Layfield lived and worked with Sam Axe in Russia. Two very long years… Companion piece to Welcome To Miami, I'd suggest reading that first.

Disclaimer: The usual sentiment here people, I own nothing except for the original character. Enjoy, reviews are appreciated.

Lily Layfield sometimes wondered why she chose this career. Out of all possible opportunities, why on God's green earth did she pick espionage? Because it was what her parents did? Possibly. Because it's what her sister does? Probably a greater possibility. Because she wanted to help her country while living a life made up of danger and excitement? I think we have a winner. She also wanted to get away from home. The only thing worse than living with spy parents? Living with an ex-spy father who has lost his wife but found consolation in a bottle.

That certainly was not the life that Lily wanted. She loved her parents, she really did, but her mom was gone and there was the shell of her father living in a house she had few happy memories of. Most of her childhood her parents assumed that she and Daisy had no idea what they really did for a living. Everything was built on lies. Lily figured out at a young age that her parents were not the vague business people they claimed to be. She puzzled that out at the age of 7, when mom came home from a business trip with a bandaged bullet wound… oh yeah, and there was the artillery room she found behind a bookcase one summer day when "Uncle Gregory" was watching them for the week.

Lily never brought it up. She just waited for the day when her parents sat her and Daisy down and asked, "what do you think we do?" They had figured out that their daughters knew something when Daisy decided at the age of 18 to look for a career path that would lead to the intelligence industry. That's a dead give away. They explained, in vague terms, that they worked a US agency.

Now that she thought about it, there really wasn't any other choice. What would she have done? Become a teacher? Maybe a housewife? No. That never would've worked out. She has this job in her blood, along with a sizable dose of wanderlust. Even if they hadn't reached out to her, she would've gone looking for them. These were the thoughts going through Lily's head as she waited for the overhead speaker to crackle with instructions. A few more minutes passed before…

"Layfield commence."

Her second mission. The first went off unusually well, but of course she had Michael Westen training her. This would be her last mission in… well that's classified. Yesterday she received a letter assigning her to duty in Russia. The relocation was bittersweet, she was excited to really start her career but it also meant that training was truly complete. Michael would be leaving on his next mission and she was headed for Moscow.

Returning to the local office was a bit somber. Here she would receive her plane ticket and contact name for when she arrived. After this she would go to her temporary apartment and pack her one bag. There was no big hoopla at the office. When she left there was a small exchange with Michael.

"You ready?" He asked as they walked towards the exit.

"I think so. Not thrilled about the location, but it's still better than others. Do you know where you're headed?"

"Ireland."

"I really appreciate everything, Michael." Lily said quietly as they waited for the elevator to arrive. "I know you weren't thrilled about this arrangement—"

"Not at first, but you're a natural so training came easy." He smiled. A moment of silence passed.

"Do you really think I'm ready?"

"I do. And there are some good guys where you're headed; they'll help you get settled in. You're ready for this Lily."

"Okay." She nods, a relived breathe escaping her.

They don't hug. Not really Michael's style. Or Lily's for that matter. But he smiles fondly at her and she has the faintest blush gracing her cheeks. He walked her to her car and said "good luck." That was the nice thing about the spy business. Everything was succinct and to the point.

Her apartment was also succinct and to the point. Very few personal belongings. Truth be told she didn't have much free time to spend on furnishing or decorating. The apartment had the bare essentials; a couch, TV, a bed for her to collapse on when she returned home from work in the wee hours of morning. Packing was easy and finished quickly. In a few hours she would have to get up again and catch the early flight into Moscow.

Lily loved waiting for contacts. Maybe it was part of the inherent difference between men and women. Michael always equated the wait to sitting in the dentist office. But she enjoyed it, the period of time could be used to people watch or just think. Either way it was semi-peaceful alone time. It was also a chance t hone her observational skills.

24 people in the lounge, 17 men, 11 over 40. 3 holding canes and 1 of them approaching her. While normally this wouldn't be odd, she was an attractive young woman and to older men she was the flame for the moth. There was something about Lily, a certain quality that set her apart from any other young woman. However, in this situation, her intended contact was in fact a man over 40 with a cane.

The man took the empty seat next to her and began to tap the cane lightly on the floor.

"Cooper handle?" She asked, gesturing to the metal knob at the top of the walking stick.

"Brass." His accent was Russian, but she couldn't quite place the region.

"Rosewood?"

"Good eye, Miss Layfield."

"It's a gift." She shrugged. "Leo?"

"Yes, a delight to meet you at last." His smile was charming.

"At last?"

"We don't invite just anyone here. We do our research Miss Layfield."

"Ah." Lily nodded.

"We should get going, you're expected."

"I am?"

"Of course." The pair stood and made their way to the door. Lily took note that he didn't actually require the use of the cane, purely there for decoration. The drive was a silent one, Lily was keen to just take in the sights. They pulled up to a condemned factory. Lily eyed the building before looking to Leo.

"Probably should've asked earlier, but may I see your credentials?"

"I always loose faith when we get to the building." He sighed, pulling down the visor in front of him and producing an id badge.

"You can hardly blame me." She handed back the badge.

"Don't worry, it's much nicer inside. And certainly isn't where people would go looking for a top secret, American intelligence office."

"Fair point."

He was right, inside was rather impressive. Everything was sectioned off into offices, training facilities, holding cells, interrogation rooms, and conference rooms. The whole thing reminded Lily of the secret headquarters in a James Bond film. Maybe that's why she decided to become a spy…

"Miss Layfield." She looked up and saw that Leo was holding a door for her. "If you would please."

"So, does the person expecting me have a name?"

"Mr. Muller."

"Muller? That was rather anticlimactic. I was expecting something… different, I suppose."

"We could call him 'M' if you prefer." Lily laughed.

"He probably wouldn't appreciate that."

"Probably not. Through here please." He held the door for her and then hurried to knock on another.

"Come in." Came the voice from the other side.

"I will see you later Miss Layfield." Leo smiled before opening the door then turning to leave.

"You can just call me Lily." She smiled.

"I will see you later, Lily." With a nod she entered the office. The smile quickly fell from her face and was replaced by pure shock.

"Uncle Greg?"

"Hello dear." The man behind the desk smiled. It was the same man who had stayed with her and Daisy during their parents long spanning "business trips."

"What… what are you…?" She barely managed.

"Close your mouth dear, you look like a fish. In future you might want to work on containing your surprise."

"Of course. I'm just… surprised." She managed with an odd chuckle. "I never realized that you were—"

"In the same business as your parents?"

"Still working. I had it figured out years ago that you and my parents worked together."

"You always were brighter than your sister. She seemed utterly flabbergasted when I met her for her first assignment." He laughed, "Please, have a seat. We're still waiting on Sam."

"Sam?" Lily asked sitting down.

"The two of you will be working together. And if things go well, you will be partnered for the majority of your assignments here." She nodded, looking briefly around the room. The space was rather bare. His desk, two chairs for guests, a lone fern in the corner. The fern was close to death thanks to the lack of consistent sunlight.

"Miss Kinney?" He had picked up the phone while she was taking in the surroundings. "Would you please call Mr. Axe again?"

_Pause_

"Thank you." He hung up the phone, sighing briefly. "We might be waiting a few more minutes."

Chapter 1 of this new venture complete. Reviews are appreciated. Hopefully another chapter will be along soon.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sam… Sam…" The bottle blond with a Russian accent moaned. The man in question was carefully kissing a trail from the woman's neck to her shoulder. He remained completely oblivious to the ringing phone. However, she noticed. "Sam!"

"What is it, baby?"

"Phone."

"For me?" He smiled, pulling away from her and moving towards the small table where the phone was trilling. "Axe here."

"Sam?"

"Miss Kinney, what do I owe the pleasure?" He smiled, keeping an eye on his blond friend all the while.

"You have a meeting."

"When?"

"About 10 minutes ago with Greg and your new partner."

"Aw man, that was today?"

"Yes it was."

"Alright, I'll be there in a few. Stall for me, baby?"

"Only if you promise to never call me 'baby' again."

"Whatever you say, Miss Kinney."

"Be here in 10 minutes or else I'll tell the boss what you're really doing… or rather, who you're doing."

"No need for that, I'll see you in 8 minutes." Hanging up the phone, Sam turned back to his bed buddy. "Sorry sweetheart, we have to cut this short."

"Sam, you promised me the whole morning."

"Forgot about a meeting." He vaguely explained, looking around the room for a shirt. "Can't keep the boss waiting."

"Are you sure?" She asked, pulling him close and pressing her lips to his neck.

"Uh—" He hesitated. "Afraid so."

"Fine." She sighed dramatically, lying back down on the bed. "I'll see you later than, yes?"

"I've got work to do, I'll give you a call when some time opens up." Sam replied distractedly, looking around for his jacket.

"Is this the brush off?"

"Course not, you're my favorite contact." He said with a grin. With one last kiss he was out the door.

**HEADQUARTERS **

"You said ten minutes!" Miss Kinney was both happy and angry to see Sam meander in so casually. "It's been 15!"

"Traffic."

"You live three blocks away from here."

"That's right, you've been to my apartment."

"Biggest mistake and you're close to making another one. Now get in there."

"What did you say?"

"That you were meeting with a contact and they were late to arrive."

"Life saver."

"Bite me." Sam just chuckled and opened the door.

"Sam, thank you for joining us." Greg greeted him. "Sam Axe, this is Lily Layfield."

Sam could tell that she was annoyed, the clenched female jaw, an unmistakable sign. She still turned around in her chair and shook his hand, wearing a forced smile.

"Sorry 'bout that. Got held up by a contact." He explained, moving to meet her hand.

"Yeah, you're contact left some lipstick on your collar… also you mis-buttoned your shirt." Lily pointed out before retaking her seat.

"What was your name again?"

"Lily."

"You and Miss Layfield are going to be working together." Greg explained, handing a folder across the desk to Sam.

"I assume you've already been through all the necessary training?" Sam asked.

"Of course."

"Anyone good?"

"Michael Westen." Sam nodded. "I think he mentioned you once or twice."

"Mikey and I go way back." He replied, only half paying attention to the conversation.

"You two start tomorrow. Try to be on time, Axe."

"Will do, boss."

"Maybe you could take the time and show Miss Layfield around?"

"Sure thing." Sam stood and made his way to the door.

"Lily, I'll see you later."

"I'll meet you back here—" She paused, keeping herself from calling him uncle. Instead she just nodded and followed Sam out of the room.

"Getting in good with the boss already? I'd be careful, Greg has a reputation with the ladies." Sam warned as he led her down the hall.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah, notorious—"

"Lily." A voice came from the doorway of the office they had just left. Greg hurried over to her and handed her an ID badge. "Don't want to forget this."

"Thanks, Uncle Greg." She smiled, pinning it to the lapel of her jacket. He nodded, returning to his office. "You were saying?"

"Never mind."

"Are you sure? It sounded as if you had Greg all figured out." She asked with a curt tone.

"You're a bit of a smart ass, aren't you?"

"I do what I can. So, are you going to show me around?"

"Those were my instructions."

"You follow your instructions?"

"To a T."

"Except when it comes to being on time."

They walked mostly in silence. Sam occasionally breaking it to point out where they were in the building. Both were still trying to formulate opinions on the other. Well, Sam was. Lily pretty much had her mind made up. He was late, clearly some kind of womanizer, and possibly a gossip. But being a determined young agent, Lily had also made up her mind that she would work with him as best she could. That was part of the assignment and that's what she would have to do.

Sam meanwhile was on an entirely different wavelength. He was taken with Lily. Despite her rather sharp attitude and what might be perceived as indifference, he found her attractive. There weren't many women who actually presented a challenge. He had already been in Russia for a year; here he was the charming American. But to someone like Lily he would have to try a different approach.

"Sam." Came a voice from behind them.

"Leo, what can I do for you?" He greeted as the blonde man approached. The small smile that graced Lily's face was not lost on either man.

"Alex was looking for you. I can finish showing Miss Layfield around if you'd like?"

"Sure. Lily, I'll see you tomorrow."

"On time?"

"I'll be early, just for you." Sam eyed her for a moment before turning to go the other way.

"How'd the meeting go?" Leo asked as soon as Sam was gone. Although he was pretty sure that he could guess.

"Just fantastic. It would figure, Illya Kuryakin meets me at the airport and I arrive to find out that Napoleon Solo is my partner."

"Man from U.N.C.L.E.?"

"Right."

"I hope you did not become a spy solely based on spy programs."

"Certainly had an influence, but no, not my only reason."

"Glad to hear it. Sam is actually a great operative, he just takes a bit of getting used to."

"I hope you're right."

"You just compared me to Illya, of course I'm right." Leo reassured her with a smile. She laughed and continued with the tour, both unaware that Sam heard the entire exchange. Accidentally of course, he had come back to give Lily the copy of their case file but paused at the sound of their conversation. She was a bit standoffish, yes. But Sam would win her over eventually. Of that he was sure. Especially considering that starting tomorrow they would be locked in a room together for 2 days doing surveillance, possibly the most boring job. Oh yeah, he would charm her, or his name wasn't Sam Axe.

**Chapter Two**

**That's the end of the second chapter. Thank you for the reviews, very much appreciated. This is a work in progress so stick with me here. Want to make sure I do this up right. Again reviews are appreciated. **


	3. Chapter 3

Lily was smart enough to know that mixing her professional life with her private life – or lack there of – was a bad idea. Things never really worked out right, someone would end up emotionally hurt and then the other party would have to be physically hurt… This was all intel Lily had gathered from observing other agents who already attempted these kind of relationships. All of that being said, she still found herself inexplicably attracted to Leo.

Well, she wasn't completely without explanation. Leo was a handsome man; tall, dirty blonde hair, a sweet smile and a gentle disposition. Actually, before attraction, she pondered how he could possibly be an affective spy. While his quiet nature was a lure to women, it would be less than helpful when dealing with a hostile informant in a make shift interrogation room. He just didn't seem to have that brute force in his repertoire. Sam on the other hand…

With an annoyed sigh, Lily rolled over to look at the clock on her nightstand. The apartment provided for her was rather nice, considering. According to Greg there were many American higher-ups staying in the same building. While that certainly upped the danger factor, it also meant that the heating worked in the winter and the electricity wasn't prone to shutting off at random times. She actually liked her apartment. It wasn't huge, but it was much more comfortable than her last place. There was already furniture in the living room and bedroom, the kitchen had appliances and cookware.

The small travel clock was her own. She had been taking it on every trip for years now. It was a graduation present from her grandmother, something to remind her of home without being obvious. Her parents weren't the first in the family to go into the espionage business. It was a long-standing tradition, the Layfield children who figured out the family secret before being told were usually the ones destined for a long career. The others were more likely to be directed towards analysis and other offices jobs.

In about 3 hours the small clock's alarm would sound. She would then have an hour to get ready and meet Sam for the job. Provided that he was on time, they would begin 2 days of preliminary surveillance for what would eventually be an extraction job. Locked in a small hotel room with Sam, in a run down hotel, pretending to be newlyweds. This wasn't exactly her dream job at the moment.

But she would do it. That was her assignment and she would comply. Michael had given her a brief talk about how sometimes you have to work with someone you dislike. But as long as it doesn't negatively effect the job, you do it. That's what she decided to do. Sam didn't seem like a bad operative, in fact he struck her as someone quite capable. More so than Leo, actually. She grudgingly admitted that Sam too, was rather attractive. He was that tall, dark and handsome man that she once dreamt of as a young girl. Despite the dislike she felt towards him, she could also see why his _contact_ kept him so late past their meeting time.

"God, I need to stop thinking." She muttered, rolling over again, causing the brass headboard to knock against the wall. There was a sudden flash of her hands holding the brass bars, as the frame rhythmically rocks, hitting the wall behind. And that cocky grin of Sam's… With a sigh, Lily decided to try and rest her eyes for half an hour and if that didn't get her to sleep, she would just get up. She's not sure how, but Lily eventually went back to sleep. Although it was far from a restful. Her mind kept producing images of what she and Sam might do during those lulls when their target was out of the hotel.

"Screw it." She finally said, throwing her blankets off and climbed out of bed. There was another hour before her alarm would go off, but she could tell that any more attempts at sleep would be fruitless. This was fine, she could take a longer shower and make a decent breakfast with something in the two bags of groceries that Greg had supplied her with.

**Later That Morning**

Dressed, fed, and tired; Lily was waiting in a small café, drinking a cup of strong coffee. Her second since arriving, third of the morning. All to no avail, she still felt exhausted. Sam had about 10 minutes before he was officially late. The café was mostly empty, it was still pretty early for there to be a lot of people. It was also freezing outside; no one in their right mind was out unless they had to be. It was also only a few blocks away from the hotel they would be going to.

"6 minutes to spare." Came a familiar voice from the door. Lily turned briefly before going back to her coffee.

"Bet you thought I wasn't going to make it." Sam laughed, taking the open seat at her table.

"Wonder how you possibly came to that conclusion."

"You're a pretty girl, try not to scowl so much." He said passively, digging through his jacket pockets for something.

"I don't scowl."

"Someone forgot to tell your mouth that."

"Maybe you just bring it out in me."

"I do have an effect on women." He shrugged before reaching across the table for her hand. Lily was ready to protest when she felt the metal touch her finger. "Standard issue from headquarters. Anyone playing a married couple has to act the part, Mrs. Mahler."

"No Mrs. Axe to worry about?"

"Of course not." He shrugged. "It's a difficult lifestyle to have a wife sitting at home."

"My parents did it."

"Yeah, but you mom was out there with your dad."

"It's a shitty lifestyle for the kids." She said rather passively, draining the rest of her coffee cup.

"Right." Sam just brushed over the comment, "You ready?"

"Lets go." Lily replied, standing up and pulling her winter jacket on.

**The Hotel**

The walk to the hotel was a frigid one. Snow started to fall rather heavily, Lily discovered that she would have to get warmer winter jacket when the opportunity presented itself. For now, she would shiver as they walked the 4 blocks. Half way there Sam noticed her trembling and put an arm around her.

"Gotta keep up appearances." He said passively.

"Thanks." She muttered.

The hotel was warmer. Not exceedingly so, but it was an improvement. The man working behind the front desk was wearing at least two sweaters. He spoke quickly, in Russian to Sam. She knew her role in this charade, her part was to stay quiet and let him do all the talking. The docile newlywed. It was easy enough, although she had to control a small smile when the clerk made a flippant comment about the walls being thin and that they should make an attempt to keep it down. Sam just laughed and said that he couldn't make any promises.

With the key in hand, Sam carried the 2 suitcases of surveillance equipment, not clothes. They had everything but the monitor. Luckily the small TV in the room would serve well. Much like the TV, the room was small. There was a dresser, medium sized, uncomfortable bed, and extra money was paid for a room with a bathroom.

"Ah, the honeymoon suite." Lily said with a laugh. Walking further into the room, looking for the lamp.

"Only the finest, my pet."

"That's not going to work."

"No? I felt that would be appropriate, a May/October marriage such as ours."

"The term is May/December."

"I'm far from December." She smirked. "Well, that's better than a scowl."

"Let's just get this set up."

The two worked in silence for about half an hour, tinkering with the wires until finally the camera sprang into action. A day before they checked in, an agent undercover as a maid cleaned the room, planting a camera and microphone and connecting the wire feed to the surveillance room.

"Okay, there are a couple of agents alternating across the hall, they're going to bring food and any supplies we might need." Sam explained, sitting down and fiddling with the knob so that the picture came in clearer.

"We can't stay in the room 2 days straight."

"We're playing newly weds, remember? 2 days in a room with a bed is the minimum was can get away with." Sam laughed.

"And what's going to happen when they hear silence through our paper thin walls?"

"We'll be given a heads up if any member of the staff is coming hear the door, we'll have to fake it." Again she rolled her eyes and him and dragged a more comfortable chair across the floor.

"Doubt I'll be the first woman to fake it with you."

"No woman has ever had to fake it with me." He smirked.

"How're we doing this? Shifts?"

"Sure."

"I'll start." She offered, sitting down and kicking up her feet. No one was in the room yet, so it was going to be dull for a while and frankly she just wanted to enjoy a few calm moments.

"I'm going to grab a shower then." She watched him disappear into the bathroom.

"Maybe I should've picked a different profession." Lily muttered to herself, turning back towards the screen. This was going to be a long two days.

**CHAPTER 3**

**That's all for this chapter. Reviews would be appreciated… anyone?**


	4. Chapter 4

**HOUR 4**

"He's back." Lily said, causing Sam to put down the file he was reading while lying on the bed.

"Oh, and he's got company." He observed, noticing the woman lurking near the door as the target switched the lights on.

"No, he's got a hooker."

"This is about to get interesting."

"You're seriously going to watch them have sex?"

"Gotta get any information we can. Handsome man hiring a pro? Means he wants something done that the average woman won't agree to."

"You know this how?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Research only. I never have to pay for it."

"Yes, I'm sure you turn them away left and right."

"You better believe it. I'm sure you shoot guys down all the time."

Lily just shrugged and looked back to the screen. Her eyes widened ever so slightly.

"Is that even possible?"

"Not without a great deal of practice first."

**HOUR 6**

The knock on the door broke the silence that had fallen since their target and his lady friend arrived. Lily knew that parts of this assignment were going to be weird, but watching two people… that just took it to an entirely different place.

"That'll be dinner." Sam said, standing and going to answer the door.

"Good." Lily quietly murmured.

There was no small talk with agent delivering the food. Again, thin walls. The people across the hall knew what was happening in room 7. The two ate in silence for a few minutes before they both broke out in laughter.

"Would've paid money to not have seen that." Lily laughed. Which amazed Sam. Most women just giggled in a girlish way, but Lily full on laughed… it was actually a bit sexy.

**HOUR 10**

Sam recognized the 3 quick knocks. It was the signal that someone was heading upstairs to their room.

"Lily, I'm gonna need you to make some noise."

"What?"

"Someone's coming." He started to bounce the bed slightly so that the springs creaked and the headboard hit the wall.

"What should I-"

"Moan!" He whispered.

"Oh… OH!" Her first was of realization and the second louder and more drawn out. With a sweet tone and in a Russian accent she managed an 'Oh God.'

"Good, that's good." He said with labored breath. "Just like that." She moaned again, deeper this time, sitting on the other side of the bed and adding to Sam's efforts.

On the other side of the door the desk clerk lingered a few moments longer than necessary. He had come up to check on the newly weds, perhaps suggest a place for dinner. But when he arrived at the door it sounded as though they were otherwise occupied. The headboard would have to be tightened after they checked out.

**HOUR 14**

The room was quiet again, this time because Sam was asleep. As was the man on the video feed, but he had to be monitored at all times. Lily was thankful for the few hours of silence. For a moment she glanced towards the bed where he was sleeping peacefully.

_I guess he's not that bad_. She thought.

She might not have been crazy about Sam at first. But after spending some time with him she could certainly tolerate him more. Looking at him again she realized how pleasant he was when unconscious to the world.

**HOURS 16 and 17**

Lily turned over again, still trying to get comfortable. For almost half an hour she had been trying to sleep and failing miserably. The sound of her constant tossing and turning was beginning to wear down Sam's nerves. Just as soon as she would fall still and silence would settle, she would move again.

"What are you doing?" He finally asked.

"I can't sleep."

"Can you do it any quieter?"

"Am I making it difficult for you to watch the sleeping man in the next room?" Came her sarcastic tone, muffled slightly by the pillow.

"As a matter of fact, yes."

"I'm not making that much noise."

"It's a small room." He paused for a few seconds, "Maybe you'd have more luck if you stayed still."

"Fine." She rolled onto her back and stopped moving. Tilting her head ever so slightly to see the clock, she found that it had now been a full hour.

"Still awake?"

"Yup."

"Wishing you had gotten into a different line of work?"

"Not necessarily. Still better than being an analyst."

"You never thought of a job in the 'real world'?"

"Do you know who my parents are? Their parents? Teaching or accounting was never really an option in my house. There was an artillery room hidden between my father's den and the playroom."

"I actually worked with your parents once or twice when I was first making the transition to intelligence work. Your mom was a hell of a lady." Lily smiled.

"Don't I know it." She laughed. "I jumped at the opportunity when they approached me. Couldn't take living with my dad, ever try living with a spy forced into retirement? Not pleasant."

"How old are you? Can't imagine you would be living with your parents much longer."

"21. And it was just my dad, mom died."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. The two of them retired and in one house… she probably would've ended up killing dad."

"Too much domestication for them?"

"Yeah. Instead she died and dad took up drinking. I was thrilled when _they_ approached me. How did you get into all of this?" Lily asked, settling her head into the pillow.

"It was just the opportunity that presented itself. I started out in the Marines, starting working in more covert operations, eventually I was approached about doing some more "civilized" work. Ended up here, I was getting too old to be jumping out of planes and…" He turned back to look at Lily and realized that she had finally dozed off. "I'll try not to take that personally." He whispered to himself, turning back to the monitor with a smile.

**HOUR 22**

"Lily?" Sam knocked on the bathroom door again. The well-worn hinges squeaked as she pulled it open. She was still wrapped in a towel and seemed a bit annoyed that he called her away from the shower just as the water was getting warm.

"Yes?"

"Get dressed. He's getting ready to go downstairs for breakfast."

"Okay, just give me a minute." She closed the door again. Things had been a bit terse since she woke up. More than anything Lily was annoyed at how Sam's voice managed to calm her enough to finally fall asleep. She had no problem being friendly with Sam. But she had no desire to take that further. Infatuation was really the last thing she needed at this point in time. That's what she kept telling herself anyway.

"Wow, that was fast." Sam commented as she opened the door again and emerged completely ready to go.

"I said I would only be a minute."

"I know, but in female time a minute usually means thirty."

"I'm not the typical female."

"So I've noticed."

Downstairs, the hotel had a few small tables set up, most of the furniture was mismatched. There was one young woman, the daughter of the owner, working as the waitress. Given how small the hotel was, there wasn't really a great demand for service. Their target took a seat in the corner, his back to the room, perfectly content to sit alone and read his newspaper. As soon as Sam and Lily reached the foot of the stairs the clerk that had approached their door the day before greeted them.

"The newlyweds have finally emerged." He grinned. Lily played the role of shy wife again, blushing and looking down.

"Honey, why don't you go ahead and get a table." Sam suggested, giving her a nudge towards the dining room. She just nodded and continued towards a table near the man. It wasn't close enough that she was being obvious, but she could make out which section of the paper he was reading. A few minutes later Sam joined her, having stopped to chat with the waitress.

"You know, it doesn't look good for you to be chatting up another woman while on your honeymoon." Lily said, looking up from her own copy of the paper.

"I wasn't chatting her up, I was ordering breakfast."

"Good, I would hate to have to play jealous wife."

"Just playing?"

"Afraid so. What did you order?"

"Just eggs and whatever they serve with them. Probably some kind of meat. What did our friend over there order?"

"Coffee, apparently he's not much of a breakfast person." Sam glanced at Lily who was still reading the paper, her motions matched the man across the room. He wondered for a moment when she noticed what he ordered, he hadn't seen the waitress go near the other table. Lily was much better at this than she let on.

**HOUR 29**

Lily was just getting settled back into her chair after dinner when those three quick knocks once again graced their door.

"Not again."

"Afraid so." Lily had just stood when she heard the footsteps approaching the door. Without missing a beat, she threw herself against the wall and began to giggle.

"Against the wall?" She giggled again. Sam stared at her for a moment before moving to stand next to her.

"Why not? Just give it a try." Whoever was outside the door stopped moving, pausing and listening to the conversation. Lily looked up at him and shrugged, not sure what to do next. He lowered his hands to her shoulders and pushed her back against the wall, provoking a girlish groan. He was gentle about the movement but kept repeating it as her responses got louder.

This continued for a few more minutes until they heard the person moving again, walking away from the door. Another moment passed before there was another series of knocks at the door. The coast was clear.

"Nice thinking." Sam grinned, returning to the bed.

"Guess you're starting to rub off on me."

"Now there's an idea."

**HOUR 34**

"I hate this guy." Lily muttered, tilting her head back for a moment.

"Me too." Sam agreed, looking up from the file he was rereading for the twelfth time.

"I'd kill for a beer right now." She sighed. Sam nearly dropped the papers from his hands.

"Marry me."

She scoffed.

**HOUR 40**

"Lily, time to wake up." Sam shook her shoulder gently. She only wanted an hour of sleep, but he let her have an extra half hour. It was her first surveillance job after all. "Last day in here."

She smiled and woke to that.

"Now that hurts, baby. Don't look so pleased."

"It's nothing personal Sam." She replied, rubbing her eyes. "The room feels like it's getting smaller."

"Still beats working in an office."

"True. Surprised Uncle Greg ever made that change."

"When you say uncle are we talking an actual blood relative?"

"No. He worked with my parents. One week while they were out on a mission he had been injured before hand and stayed with my sister and I. Takes a strong man with military training to spend a week looking after two teenage girls."

"No nepotism involved in this hiring?"

"None that I'm aware of. I didn't even know he was still working. And I take offense to that suggestion."

"Calm down, it was just a question. You don't really strike me as the type to take a job you didn't earn." She just nodded to that and looked around the room.

"Your turn to sleep." She said, standing up and moving to her chair.

"Think I'm going to shower instead."

"That would be greatly appreciated."

"Maybe the hot water is working again."

"You actually think I would've asked for an assignment where hot water is rare?" She laughed.

"Never know, as you pointed out, you're fare from the average woman." She watched him disappear into the bathroom and just shook her head.

**HOUR 42**

"What time is it?" Lily asked, standing up from the monitors to rest her eyes and stretch.

"Counting down the hours till we're off the clock?" He watched her arch her back in a stretch. "Maybe we could go somewhere… talk, eat… nap?"

"What about your **contact**? I'm sure she might take issue with you trying to have contact with me."

"Nah, it's not a serious contact. She didn't have any useful information."

"And I do?"

"You don't need it." He smiled appreciatively, looking at her as she reached her arms above her head and tilted to loosen up her back and neck.

"Gosh, I'm so flattered." She replied sarcastically.

"How about dinner? Just dinner."

"Just dinner?"

"Yes. I know all the respectable places around here." She gave him a long look, trying to detect anything from his hopeful expression.

"Fine."

"Nothing I love more than a woman half-heartedly agreeing to spend time with me." Lily laughed and retook her seat.

"I'm sure it's nothing new for you." Sam smiled at her.

**Time to clock out**

**Well that's chapter 4, ended up longer than I intended but there we are. Thanks for the reviews, much appreciated. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Can I give you a ride?" Sam offered once they were a few blocks away from the hotel. Again the weather was frigid and darkness had already fallen.

"Yes, thank you." She smiled, following him towards the small car that had about a foot of snow covering it. "Is there a car under there somewhere?"

"I sincerely hope so, that's where I left it. Where are you living?" He asked while trying to chip away the ice keeping the passenger side door impossibly difficult to open.

"Just a few blocks away, but it's too cold to walk." He glanced at her. She was waiting on the sidewalk, shivering. Her coat barely reached her knees, she had a skirt on that fell just a little lower than that. Apparently her tights weren't doing much to keep her warm. "I need to get a heavier jacket."

"Would be a smart investment." Finally he broke up the ice enough that he could pry the door open. "It's not going to be any warmer inside the car."

"I'm from the northeast, I know." She smiled.

"Hey, me too." They continued to chat in the car, although it was taking a lot of energy on Lily's part. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and sleep for a week. However, she would have to be up early in the morning to get into the office. Sam didn't really strike her as much of a typist, which meant she would have to type the report of information.

"Here we are." He killed the engine, "I'll walk you in." She murmured an 'okay' and climbed out of the car.

The halls in the building were dimly lit and the elevator out of service. So they walked the four flights of stairs. She started to unbutton her jacket and remove her hat and gloves as they walked.

"This is one of the warmer buildings I've been in." Sam observed.

"Some higher up American agents live here, so our heat is always working." She replied, stifling a yawn. "You didn't have to walk me to my door."

"Sure I did. Otherwise you'd still be downstairs waiting for the elevator."

"I would've gotten some more sleep before hand if I knew that we were going to be watching camera feeds for two days straight." Leaving her explanation at that, not wanting to tell him why she was unable to sleep the night before.

"A rookie mistake that's only made once." Lily just nodded and she pulled her keys from her coat pocket.

"Uh… did you want to come in? I've got… water." She offered unlocking the door and pushing it opened.

"Yeah, sure… I could go for water." She nodded again and moved to let him follow her in. A light on a table in the living room was already on and the apartment was toasty.

"I'll just go…" She gestured towards the small kitchen as she pulled off her jacket. He followed her into the room.

"Lily, I didn't come in for water." Sam's tone was smooth as he moved closer towards her.

"You didn't?"

"No." He was about a step away from her now, she was between him and the refrigerator.

"Well… okay then." He closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her waist. Within a second his lips were pressed against hers. The moment didn't last too long and they slowly parted, her arms rested comfortably on his shoulders.

"I'll see you tomorrow, baby. Get some sleep." He gave her another kiss before walking to the door. Tomorrow she would lecture him on how degrading it was to call a woman "baby." Of course… coming from him… it just sounded right. The door closed behind him with a sharp click.

"So much for not letting things get complicated." She sighed, resting her head against the refrigerator. Despite all that, she smiled. It was a good kiss, she hadn't been kissed like that in a long time.

**The Next Morning – Headquarters**

Lily sat quietly in her cubical, typing up the notes that Sam had left with her the night before. The paperwork was shaping up to be least exciting part of this job. Which is really saying something considering how she just spent the last two days.

"Morning, Miss Layfield." Leo greeted her, appearing in the entranceway of her cubical.

"I told you, call me Lily." She smiled, turning away from the bulky computer she was working on. The thing took up half her desk space and sounded vaguely like a humvee when it got overheated. Lily wasn't a huge fan of the technology, she rather preferred the old typewriter.

"Of course, Lily." He moved in closer so that he was leaning against her desk. "How did the job go?"

"Fine. A bit tedious." She shrugged, leaning back in her chair and adopting a more relaxed posture.

"No problems with Sam?"

"None, you're right, he's not that bad." Lily managed without blushing.

"Glad to hear it. You two will probably be working together quite a bit." She just nodded as Leo disappeared, his own work to tend to. Turning back to her computer she began to type again. As time went by she could hear more people arriving, settling into their desks around her. Just as the last page of her report printed out a folded up piece of paper landed on her keyboard. Putting the file aside, she unfolded the paper to find a short handwritten note that said nothing but, "Dinner tonight?" Glancing over at the information she had just transcribed, she recognized the handwriting as Sam's.

With a small, amused smirk she reached for her own pen.

_Depends_

Standing up she looked around at the cubicles surrounding her own. Just one over sat Sam, thumbing through a rather thick folder. Lily refolded the paper and dropped it back on his desk.

**On?**

_With whom would I be enjoying this dinner?_

**I'm sure there's someone around here willing to eat with you…**

_Oh? Have you taken it on yourself to find a dinner companion for me?_

**It's the decent thing to do. **

_And you're all about decency._

**You know it, baby. So, what do you say?**

_What time are you picking me up?_

**7.00?**

_I'll be waiting._ Lily wrote with a blush, hoping that he didn't see a double entendre or think her statement more lurid than what she really meant. It was too late now; the note had already disappeared over the top of the cubical. She didn't have time to dwell on the impending date… was it a date? No! Not important, she had meetings to focus on. That needed to be her focus for the moment.

Getting up from the desk she could vaguely hear a chuckle from the dividing wall. He was a cocky bastard, that much was clear.

The day dragged along. Lily was in and out of meetings all day, stopping briefly to have lunch with Greg. When she returned to her desk Sam was already gone and it was almost 6 o'clock. She would have an hour to get home and ready for dinner. Luckily she didn't need too much time to get ready. Not knowing where they were going made it difficult to pick a dress. But considering that it was Sam, she was comfortable in a short black dress with long sleeves and a deep scoop neck. She pulled on a pair of black tights in the hopes of keeping her legs warm and dug out a pair of high heels. Just as she finished pulling back her long brown curls a knock came from the door. Lily glanced at the clock before hurrying out of the bedroom.

"You're early." She smiled, pulling the door open.

"You're gorgeous." He replied, grinning when she blushed.

"I need to grab my purse." Coming further into the apartment, Sam watched as she disappeared into the bedroom. "So where are we going?"

"Just a little place that belongs to a buddy of mine. It's quiet, out of the way."

"Sounds nice." She returned to the room, purse in hand and reaching for her jacket. "All ready?"

"Yeah, just want to do something first."

"Hmm?" Sam moved away from the couch, pulling her towards him. It was only a moment later that he was leaning down to kiss her. "Sam, I don't know what kind of girl you think I am, but you do have to buy me dinner before anything else might—" He cut her off, pulling her back into the embrace. This was different from the night before. Then he was trying to make a move without scaring her off. This was an attempt to entice her.

"All right, lets get going." He said with a smile. Before he could move away, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back into the embrace. Kissing him in a way that surprised them both.

"I'm sick of you kissing me suddenly and then walking away. My turn." She grinned, picking up her jacket and heading for the door. "Ready?"

Sam chuckled and nodded before following her out.

Sorry about the delay, per usual. Reviews appreciated. I'll try to get more up soon.


	6. Chapter 6

"Did you enjoy the evening?" Sam asked as he walked Lily back to her apartment. She smiled before reaching down and taking his hand.

"I had a wonderful time." She said, letting him pull her against his side. It really was the best date Lily had had in a while. This wasn't exactly a profession that allowed for a social life. So it had been some time since she went out with a man. And there was a bonus to dating someone in the same line of work. She didn't have to give the same boring cover story; they weren't starting out on a lie.

Sam had taken her to a restaurant where the owner was a friend. There he had managed to talk his buddy into making something off menu. Instead of the standard Russian dishes, they had Italian. It wasn't the best Lily had ever eaten, but the effort was appreciated. The two sat at their table talking until someone finally came over and pointed out that it was closing time. Lily didn't really picture Sam as the type to have a date like this; frankly he struck her as the "wham, bam, thank you, Sam" type. But the surprise was certainly a pleasant one.

"Lily?"

"Hm? Oh, sorry." She looked up, realizing they were standing outside of her apartment.

"That's alright, I know my charm can be distracting." She just smirked at him while digging out her keys.

"I think it has more to do with your humble nature."

"Could easily be another reason." Sam laughed, following her into the apartment, closing the door behind him. "I have many fine attributes."

"Yes, I heard the gossip in the ladies room."

"I'm still a topic of conversation in there?"

"It seems that you're a constant topic."

"True, in so many ways." He helped her with her jacket.

"There's that humble nature again."

"The ladies can't resist." He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Is that right?" He nods; taking her arms and guiding them around his neck.

"Your arms go here."

"Are you going to guide the rest of me?"

"Happily." Sam pulled her close so that she was completely against his body. "You're beautiful."

Lily felt the blush warm her cheeks, feeling compelled to look down. But Sam's fingers beneath her chin forced her to look back up at him. It barely a minute goes by before he closes the space between them, kissing her firmly while one of his hands slides into her hair, keeping her close. Slowly, he walks her back until she hits the wall.

Kissing Sam is good, Lily decides. Despite her feminist notions, she felt a great deal of delight in him pressing her up against the wall, showing just how much stronger he was than her. When his fingers began to move beneath her skirt, warning bells went off in her head. _Too fast! Too fast!_

She broke away as best she could with him pinning her. At first he didn't catch the hint and just moved lower to kiss her neck. But when he felt her body tense up he stopped.

"What is it, baby?"

"Too fast." She managed breathlessly, shaking her head.

"Oh… the kissing or the…"

"Wandering hands… I'm… I don't think I'm ready yet." Lily was starting to panic, she could feel her calm façade fade as embarrassment filled in. "I'm sorry, I just haven't done this before."

"That's okay—wait, you've never done what before?" Sam's brain was still trying to catch up with the situation.

"Uh—everything that comes after your hand goes up my skirt."

"You're a virgin?" He asked, frankly a bit surprised.

"Yes."

"But… how?" She quirked an eyebrow at his question.

"I've never had sex."

"I know 'how' what I mean is _how_?"

"For one thing, I went to an all girl school and for another my parents had a full artillery room in the house. Wasn't exactly boyfriend-friendly." Lily snaked out from against the wall and took a seat on the couch. "It's pathetic, I know."

"I wouldn't say pathetic." Sam commented, taking a seat next to her. "Different, I haven't been in this situation since high school." She groaned, throwing her head back and covering her face with her hands. "But hey, you're better off this way. Everyone has a horrible first time because they're with someone else who hasn't yet. You'll get a first time with someone with experience."

"You're offering?" The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"If you want, but not until you're ready. Let it never be said that Sam Axe rushed a woman."

"Noted." She managed a smile, despite an overwhelming urge to hide her head.

"I'm going to head home. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes." She stood and followed him to the door. He pulled her into a brief but deep kiss.

"Whenever you're ready." He reassured her.

"Thank you." Instead of kissing him, she pulled him into a hug. Resting her head against his shoulder before he pulled back.

"Night, Lil."

"Well, that was…" Lily began to mutter to herself, not finishing the sentence because she couldn't think of the right word. With a sigh she locked the door and made her way down the hall to her bedroom. She was pleased with the date and Sam handled her hesitance better than she would've ever expected him to.

Sam was in a bit of a haze when he returned to his car. He couldn't remember the last time he walked away from a first date with just a kiss… mainly because he had never walked away from a first date without doing more than kissing. Granted, the women he usually went out with only lasted for one date. He had yet to find anyone he wanted to have a second date with. Lily really was proving to be a very different kind of woman.

-Two Weeks Later-

The first week of work in the office seemed to drag by. There was a strange rotation in place that kept agents from returning to the field immediately following a weeklong mission. So, Lily and Sam were on desk duty while Leo had disappeared on a job. While she was happy to have Sam around, Lily had taken a shine to Leo. The two were friendly and it was nice to have some social ties for a change.

Lily glanced at the clock for what felt like the 12th time in the last hour. It was only a few more minutes before the day officially ended and she could get home. It had been a particularly cold day and she wanted nothing more than to disappear in the bath for a few hours.

"Hey, baby." Sam greeted, leaning against her desk while she finished typing.

"Hey." She smiled, "Where are you off to?"

"I was going to grab some dinner, interested?"

"In dinner? Always."

"Close to being done?"

"Just need to drop this in Greg's office and I'm finished."

"I'll meet you out front? The car's going to need a minute to warm up."

"A common occurrence for you."

"I don't need a minute." Sam did a quick scan of the room before leaning down to kiss Lily. She pulled back immediately.

"Not at work!" She scolded.

"No one else is around."

"Go get the car started." She tried to sound stern but failed, letting her grin shine through.

Lily watched him go before she turned back to her typewriter. She finished the report, turned off the small desk light and gathered her things. Sam was right, no one was around. The only light still on was coming from Greg's office.

"Here's that report." Lily said, handing the folder over.

"Thanks, Lily." She smiled before turning to leave. "Plans for the evening?"

"Uh… yeah, dinner."

"With Sam?"

"How did you-?"

"Word spreads fast around here. Especially when he's involved. I know it's none of my business, but be careful with him. The office Casanova, he isn't the best person to start a relationship."

"He's really not that bad."

"Be careful, just the same."

"I will. I'm not Daisy." She laughed.

-Dinner-

Again their meal flew by, another pleasant evening in a cozy restaurant. Lily wasn't sure if it was the wine or the company but she was feeling much less coy. This became abundantly clear as her foot nudged his ankle before sliding up his calf.

"Lil?" His voice was slightly strangled as her foot passed his knee.

"I was thinking. Just for the sake of knowing my way around town… where's you're apartment?"

"4 and half minutes away by car. 12 minutes by foot." Her seductive act dropped for a moment to laugh.

"We should probably get the check."

-Sam's Apartment-

"It's a little messy." Sam explained before pushing the door open.

"It's a lot bachelor."

"That surprises you?"

"Hardly."

"Want the tour?"

"Sure. Why don't we start with the couch?"

"You're my favorite girl."

"That's saying something."

Lily was feeling much bolder than usual; taking his hand, pulling him to the couch before pushing him down and climbing onto his lap. It didn't take long for the two to work themselves into a frenzy. Lily's sweater was long gone, while she fumbled with the buttons of Sam's shirt. They were so caught up in each other that neither heard the door open at first.

"Sam?" A stunned voice asked. Lily froze, looking up. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" Lily retorted in surprise. The tall blonde seemed equally taken back.

"I'm Gretchen. Sam, what's going on?"

"I can explain—" He began, speaking only to Lily.

Lily couldn't bring herself to look at him. Her face was burning with embarrassment, as she scurried off his lap and searched for her sweater. It was taking everything in her not to begin to hyperventilate. With her clothing back in place, she grabbed her jacket and purse.

"Clearly you double booked." She glanced at Gretchen, biting back the emotions rising in her. "I can't even—I can't believe I was about to let you— This was a mistake."

"Lil, wait!" He started to follow her out, but was blocked.

Outside Lily pulled on her jacket. Although she was oddly comforted by the cold at the moment. Her face was flushed, body shaking with anger.

"How the fuck do I get home from here." She muttered, looking around. "There's irony in there some where." One thing she was sure of, she and Sam were done.


	7. Chapter 7

It was late when Lily finally found her way back to her apartment building. Snow had started to fall about halfway there, leaving her shivering for the rest of the walk. The perfect ending to the horrible evening. Everything seemed to be going so well. Until that slut showed up. _That's a bit harsh_, she thought to herself. Then further chastised herself for trying not to be too hard on the trollop.

It really wasn't that woman's fault, or even Sam's. No, it was all Lily's doing. His reputation was certainly known. Enough people had warned her against the whole… affair. But no, Lily had to get hot and bothered for the strong chin and easy smile.

Instead of going to her apartment, she climbed two more flights and found herself knocking on another door.

"Lily?" Greg asked sleepily, tying his robe.

"Hi. Sorry to wake you… I just…" She sighed, hanging her head for a moment. "I just… can you be my uncle Greg for a few minutes instead of my boss?"

"Come in." He stepped back from the door to let her enter. "What happened?"

"We… Sam and I, we had this really fantastic date and… and went back to his place." This was as bad at talking to her father. Utterly embarrassing but she needed to discuss this incident aloud so that she could hear it, learn from it, and move on. "We were interacting when the door opened and this leggy blonde strolls in like she lived there."

"Well…"

"I should've just listened to you… and everyone else who warned me against dating him."

"Lily—"

"He was just so damn charming. And he liked me. Well, at least he seemed to like me."

"I'm sure that was sincere, you're very likable, Lily."

"I just don't know why I ever bothered. I've made it this far on my own." She sighed, looking up and noticing that Greg was in his pajamas. "I'm sorry to wake you. I'll just—" She gestured to the door.

"Lily." She stopped. He stood and pulled her into a hug. "You're never on your own. There's always your sister and you always have me."

"Thanks, Uncle Greg."

"Should I reassign you two?"

"No. We work well enough together, plus I don't want to look like some little girl who can't compartmentalize her life. I'll stick it out. Thanks though."

"Want me to beat him up?" Lily laughed hugging him again.

"That's okay. Should it come to that, I'll do it myself."

"We'll keep you away from firearms for the next week or so, for his safety."

"Not a bad plan. Night."

"Night, Lily."

She returned to her apartment, feeling a little better, but overall she just felt hurt… and stupid… and humiliated. For a moment Lily wondered what happened after she left Sam's apartment. If he just picked up where she had left off.

**x-X-x**

"What are you doing here, Gretchen?" Sam asked, returning to his apartment. He tried to catch Lily but she was out too quickly.

"It's Friday night, what do you think I'm doing here?" She shrugged, "We have a standing arrangement."

"Which is usually initiated by a phone call."

"Who was the little girl? A bit young for you, isn't she, Sam?"

"That was a date. With a woman that I really like. And since when do you have a key to my apartment?"

"Oh… well…"

**x-X-x**

The office was an awkward environment over the next few weeks. Outside of work related conversation, Lily refused to let Sam pull her into any other discussions. Despite his trying, she managed to avoid him. But that was only going to last so long, she couldn't always pass him off on a nearby coworker or feign a meeting. This became abundantly clear one night while leaving the building.

"Lil?" She turned at her name, not exceedingly surprised to see Sam waiting for her next to his car.

"What, Sam? What?" She asked, tired of having to dodge him every damn time he tried talking to her outside of work.

"I just want to talk to you. That's all."

"Fine. Talk."

"Okay. I'm sorry about the other night. I didn't know Gretchen would be stopping by like that. Truth be told I haven't seen her, or anyone, since you and I started—"

"We'll get you a medal." She mumbled.

"I'll take snarky if it means you're talking to me again." He smiled briefly.

"I haven't decided if I'm going to keep talking to you yet." Lily took a deep breath before looking up at him. "Look, maybe it's better that this happened before we went too far. We're clearly very different people, it's not fair to expect either of us to change. We'll just be—"

"Friends?" Sam supplied.

"I was going to say co-workers, we can ease into friends."

"Well, as a friend, can I offer you a ride home?"

"As a friend?"

"The most innocent of intentions. Purely to keep you from freezing to death."

Lily bit her lip for a moment, she really didn't want to walk home, the weather certainly felt below freezing at the moment.

"Okay."

**x-X-x**

Being friends with Sam wasn't that bad. In fact, it made things much easier when they were in the field. There was a noticeable easing of the tension that had formed between them in those awkward weeks following what was now referred to as "The incident." They would still flirt sometimes, but nothing seemed to come of it.

Lily actually found herself being courted by the rather quiet Leo. She was surprised to find herself not completely rejecting his advances. They had a few meals together, went to the movies on their night off, but nothing more than that. Lily was dead set on taking things slow after the massive failure that was her romance with Sam Axe.

For the moment though, everything seemed to be going well… there was no way this was going to last. Lily could feel it in her bones, something bad was going to happen… and it was going to happen soon. When she arrived at work the next morning and found herself summoned to a strategy meeting, along with Sam and Leo. The original team that was supposed to carry out the operation had gone missing. It would be their job to get into a secure military base, find their people and get them out. And while they were out it, complete the original mission, which involved classified files in the hands of a military official with a fondness for brunettes.

Lily would of course serve as the brunette bait. Sam and Leo as her security, while Sam made sure that the military official Lily was entertaining remained occupied, Leo would be leading a team into the holding cells in search of their people. The plan was simple enough, execution of it however… that would be something else entirely.


	8. Chapter 8

"Nice outfit." Sam smiled, trying not to leer at Lily and her tight leather skirt.

"This is the most uncomfortable thing I've ever worn." She muttered, trying to adjust the stiff material. She sat down as best she could and tried pulling on a pair of black knee high boots. "Ridiculous. Can't women be comfortable and whorish?"

Sam grinned at her mutterings, watching as she struggled with boots. With a smirk he knelt down in front of her and took hold of the shoe, holding it at the base.

"You look amazing. Push."

"Next time you can wear it." She winced slightly, her foot finally sliding into place. "I think they gave me the wrong size."

"In skirt or shoes?"

"I'll kick you." She warned, pulling up the zipper on the boot.

"You don't have knee high, black leather, 5-inch boots lying around at home?" Sam asked, readying the other shoe for her.

"Silly me, didn't think to pack them."

"Well, should you need help taking these off later…" She froze, suddenly aware of his warm hand on her nylon-covered leg. Her face burned as she tried to collect her thoughts.

"Thought we were just going to be friends?"

"Habit." He shrugged, pulling the zipper up, fingers grazing the top of her knee.

"Only in your world."

Sam smiled, his fingers slowly moving to her thigh. Her breath hitched as his hand paused at the hem of her skirt.

"Sam…" She tried to produce a warning tone but it ended up as more of a soft sigh as her body relaxed against his touch.

At the sound of the door opening behind them, the two jumped apart. Leo quietly entered the room, not looking up right away from the file in front of him.

"Are you two ready to go?" He asked, finally looking up. He noticed that Lily was blushing furiously and Sam suddenly found his gun incredibly interesting. Leo decided not to comment on the weirdness. "Lily?"

"Yes?"

"Are you all right?"

"Fine. Just getting ready." She stood up and adjusted the tight skirt again. "You good to go?"

"Just waiting for the team to get into position. Sam, you're staying close to Lily?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, I'll be right there, ready to pull her out." Sam didn't mind the job, he wasn't smack dab in the middle of action, but he felt better being closer to Lily. The Russian Official she was "entertaining" had a bit of a reputation for roughing up women he was renting for the evening. No matter how tough Lily may be, she would need back up if this guy decided to fall into past habits.

**x-X-x**

Entering the facility was easy enough… well at least it was easy for Sam, Lily and Leo. The strike team was entering through the heavily wooded forest that surrounded the grounds. Leo was acting as the driver, able to sneak away after pulling the car into an assigned spot. Sam was outside of the room Lily would be in, keeping watch until the Official was subdued so that they could retrieve files from his office.

"You'll be okay in there?" Sam whispered as they approached the heavy door at the end of a long corridor.

"I'll be fine… fine." She repeated, reaching to fix her skirt again.

"If you get into trouble, just scream."

"Simple enough… never thought I'd be longing for two days of surveillance."

"Glad I rank higher than a pervy general."

"Of course you do."

As they moved further down the hall, the door opened and the man in question appeared. He leered at Lily, eyeing her leather-clad legs.

"Your man can go." He instructed in broken English while reaching for Lily's arm. Sam quickly stepped between them.

"Sorry. New policy, the girls aren't allowed to play without a bodyguard near by." Sam paused, giving the Official a pointed look, "A few too many incidents in the past."

"Of course. You'll just wait out here?" Sam nodded. "I'll have someone fetch you a chair. My dear, if you'll come this way."

Lily nodded quickly towards Sam, hoping to calm him slightly. The Official led her into the room, closing the door behind them.

"No, no." She stopped him as he reached for the lock on the door. "Has to stay unlocked."

"You girls have a whole list of new rules. We are still allowed to have sex right?"

"Da. Provided your payment went through."

"I assure you, it did."

"Then by all means, let's get started." Lily removed her coat and fought the urge to shudder in disgust when the Official's hands landed on her hips, moving downwards across the same path that Sam's had earlier.

**x-X-x**

It was amazing how quickly all hell could break loose.

Sam had been pacing outside the office door for almost ten minutes when he heard it. Something heavy hitting the floor on the other side of the door. There was no scream, but something about it didn't seem right. Another minute passed before a weak "SAM!" fell upon his ears. Followed by a sharp scream.

Within seconds the door was thrown open and Sam froze in the doorway, amazed by the sight in front of him. The official was lying unconscious on the floor, Lily beneath him, breathing slowly and gripping half of a lamp. Her shirt was torn, there was a large, noticeable bruise forming around her neck.

"Took your time." She whispered as loud as she could, her voice was rough. Clearly almost having the life strangled out of her did some temporary damage.

"Sorry about that. What happened?"

"We need to get to Leo. They know that they're coming. A call came through…" She was cut off mid-sentence by a coughing fit. "They know."

"Shit. Come on." He grabbed her by the hand and the two took off down the corridor. The place suddenly seemed deserted. Sam pulled out his walkie-talkie and tried to reach any of their agents. "This is Axe, does anyone copy?"

There was a crackle of feedback. Sam noticed a balcony where they would be able to hide until he had a better idea of what was going on. He pulled a wheezing Lily behind him. The two finally coming to a halt, secluding themselves outside.

"Axe? What's happening?" One of the men they were working with finally answered.

"Mission compromised. Need to get out now. They know you're coming."

"We're already in. No point in turning around before we—" The man never finished the sentence. He was cut off by a wave of gunfire. The radio crackled again. Sam and Lily were frozen for a moment, waiting to hear anything.

"Sam…" Leo's voice was weak. "Sam, we've been hit… the whole team is down… get Lily and get out… both of you get out while you can."

"No!" Lily cried, they couldn't just leave them. Leo and an entire team were under the building. The bunker had been turned into a prisoner.

"Leo, any chance of you guys getting out?" Sam asked, trying to find a way to get everyone out safely.

"I don't think so… they've got us pinned down. Most of my men are…" There were two more gunshots and the line fell silent.

"Oh, God."

"Come on, we gotta get out of here." Sam grabbed Lily's hand and led her back into the building. They were half way down the hall when Lily grabbed Sam and pulled him into a small alcove.

"What are you…?" Gunshots rang out, cutting Sam off. Lily quickly grabbed her gun and peeked out before firing three shots.

"I think we're clear." She said, lowering the gun.

"Good catch." Sam offered as they hurried down the hall. Lucky for the pair, the bulk of security was called to take care of Leo's team, allowing Sam and Lily to escape with relative ease.

**x-X-x**

Greg was waiting for them when they arrived at headquarters. It was two hours past their set rendezvous time and without any means of communication, Greg was left hanging until they showed up.

"What the fuck went wrong?" He demanded as Sam climbed out of the car.

"Everything that possibly could've. The whole thing was a set up, they knew we were coming."

Greg froze at the sight of Lily; her vacant expression, torn clothing, and the bruising.

"Lily?" He reached out to touch her face, trying to get a better look at the bruise, but she jerked back at his contact and moving closer to Sam.

The medic looked over Lily while Sam was debriefed.

"Is your throat still sore?" The medic asked, tilting Lily's head up and examining her neck.

"Yes."

"Any other injuries?" It was a pointed question given Lily's ripped pantyhose.

"No, he didn't get the chance."

"Good. It doesn't look like there's any permanent damage, rest for a few days."

Lily just nodded before joining Sam in Greg's office. The night wasn't over yet.


End file.
